Stationery



R. E. LEE

STATIONERY June 5, 1945.

Filed Nov. 27, 1941 INVENTOR RafR T E. EE

ATT RNEY POWER b uanr conrAnV 3050 zum! AvzuuE .Uma

Patented June 5, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y STATIONERY Robert E. Lee, Dayton, Ohio, assigner to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio 1 Claim.

This invention pertains to continuous series connected detachable form stationery, and more particularly to business mailing cards. In the present instance there is contemplated the manufacture and inscription of mailing cards suitable for statement cards, utility bills, and other business communications bearing imprinted indicia upon opposite sides thereof, and the imprinting thereof on commercial tabulating, billing, and addressing machines, or other commercial recording apparatus. The stock material is preprinted with suitable spaces to receive inscribed indicia. The legends to appear upon the opposite faces of the mailing card, one of which may be an address and the otherbusiness data or a message, are imprinted side by side upon the same side of a continuous web of record material. The imprinting of the respective related legends is preferably performed sim'ultaneously by a single impression but if desired may beimprinted successively in different machines. The imprinted web is then longitudinally folded on a medial line, with the impressions upon the respective portions thereof facing outwardly in opposite directions. The opposing portions are then adhesively united into a two-ply strip which then bears inscriptions on both its faces. The two-ply record bearing strip is subsequently transversely divided at longitudinally spaced intervals into individual mailing cards.

The object of the invention is to enable the automatic imprinting of individual messages or communications and addressing of mailing cards conveniently and rapidlyby use of conventional l business machines, to which the record material is supplied in continuous series connected relation.

The object is to provide an improved form of business stationery which may be rapidly and economically inscribed and formed into individual record cards.

A further object of the invention is to enable a series of mailing cards or the like to be inscribed with messages and addressed simultaneously.

A further object of the invention is to provide mailing cards in continuous series connected sequence.

A further objectief the invention is t provide two-ply business stationery.

A further object of the invention is to produce a two-ply mailing card bearing individual inscriptions upon its opposite faces.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mailing card or other double faced record sheet having the advantageous structural features and inherent meritorious characteristics, and especially the mode of imprinting and'assembling the record sheet herein set forth.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein is shown the preferred. but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a zig-zag folded packet of the initial wide web of preprintedl blank series connected forms, prior to their pas-4 sage through an inscribing or recording machine.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the packet of stationery after being inscribed and fanfolded, the superposed plies of the top most detachable card being separated to illustrate the duofold character thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the packet of inscribed stationery during theprocess of marginally trimming and transversely dividing the strip into individual cards.

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively views of the opposite faces of the resulting mailing card showing in Fig. 4 the inscribed address thereon, and in Fig. 5 the inscribed individual record or data.

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating a triple fan-- fold Web to form three-ply cards.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The present method of assembling, inscribing, and addressing mailing cards is primarily intended for use in commercial and utility offices which are equipped with automatic business machines such as tabulating, billing, and addressing apparatus. Such machines are ordinarily controlled by punched cards or other legend determining elements which are advanced seriatim from the source of supply and which automatically determine the indicia to be imprinted. while a continuous strip of record material is progressively advanced through the machine and past an imprinting position thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I is a packet of continuous form stationery comprising a relatively wide web 2 of paper or other record material. The web 2 bears on one side thereof a succession of printed forms arranged in double series, Vthe individual impressions of which are disposed in transversely opposite. relation. These impressions comprise a succession of mailing card face imprints I--I and in transverse alignment therewith a series of utility bill forms, order acknowledgments or receipt forms 4--4 or other business or commercial communications, having defined spaces l to receive individual imprinted data. The initial blank stock web 2 is preprinted in the usual manner leaving inscription spaces l to be filled in with individual legends. It is transversely scored or weakened on lines C for subsequent division into individual portions; also it is preferably, although not necessarily, longitudinally scored or weakened on lines to enable separation of a coupon portion l from the final card. For accuracy in feeding the stock web or strip through the writing or imprinting apparatus and subsequent severing machine the web 2 is preferably but not necessarily, provided with successions of marginally spaced holes I, for engagement of pin type feeding devices of the inscribing and severing apparatus. In addition thereto the web may be provided medially with a double row of additional longitudinally spaced feed holes I0.

The blank imprinted stock web is fed through a tabulating machine or other writing or imprinting apparatus, by which an address is imprinted upon the mailing card face areas l, and simultaneously related account data or other individual legend or message is imprinted in the space l of the section I. The address and imprinted legend may be predetermined by a punched control card an'd may be imprinted simultaneously. Otherwise the address upon the face 3 may be imprinted from a separate embossed plate or from a preformed stencil either in the same machine simultaneously with the account data imprint, or may be subsequently imprinted in a different machine, in which event the web may pass directly from one printing position or machine to the other.

After having received on the same side thereof corresponding address and account, legend, message, or other impression in transversely aligned relation, the web 2 is "fan-folded upon a medial longitudinal line I I. In such reverse folding operation, the-marginal feed holes l insure accurate alignment of the respective sections I and 4, and registry of the opposite portions of the weakened division lines t and l. Upon folding of the web the marginal holes 9 in opposite edges of the strip are brought into exact registry with each other, and likewise the holes of the medial rows I Il at opposite sides ofthe fold line I I are likewise registered. Before being folded adhesive is applied to the reverse side of the web. This adhesive coating may be applied as the web progresses through the writing or imprinting apparatus, but is preferably a heat responsive coating previously applied and dried, and which is softened and caused to adhere by passing the folded web through heated rollers as it is being folded. As result of the folding and cementing operation there results a two-ply strip of record material having successions of impressions on opposite sides.l Such two-ply inscribed strip is divisible at longitudinally spaced intervals upon the transverse weakened lines i, into a succession of individual cards, I2

To divide the strip and remove from the resulting cards the marginal feed holes, the two-ply strip, shown in Fig. 2, is fed through a trimming and severing apparatus of which several forms are known in the industry. 'I'he marginal holes I and Iii facilitate the advancement of the twoply strip through such severing and trimming apparatus wherein the perforated margins are removed as at Il after they have served their .feeding and control functions, and the strip is transversely severed as at I l into individual cards I2. Y

'I'he initial stock is of such weight thatwhen doubled, with an interposed stratum of adhesive. the resulting card I2 will be of approximately the same thickness and degree of stiffness as a conventional post card. It is obvious that if stock of light weight be employed the web 2 may be of greater width and fan-folded" longitudinally in thirds, orv more sections, instead of in halves, as shown in Fig. 6. In such event one third division will be folded intermediate the remaining inscription bearing two thirds of the web as indicated in Fig. 6. This will afford a three-,ply assembly, the contiguous plies of which will be integrally connected with each other along alternate margins with their contacting faces adhesively united one to another.

While the web may be of suflicient width to permit the removal of the punched margins from the finished card, it is not essential that such marginal areas be removed, after their purpose has been `served,l but they may be left upon the completed mailing card.

Although the invention is shown and described as applied to the production of mailing cards it is to be understood that it is not limited therete but may be applied to making file record cards wherein written' records are desired on opposite sides of the card or may be utilized for production of other double facedsheets of large or small size.

In lieuof inscribing boththe address and the message, or two related series of legends upon a single web of material, the series of addresses and the'series of messages or each of two series of legends may be inscribed on separate webs and subsequently united back to back with related legends one above'the other and then severed transversely between succeeding legends. Such procedure may be desirable in the event that the messages or one series of legends are to be Inscribed in a tabulator or other writing or imprinting apparatus and thel series of addresses are to be imprinted in s. separate addressing machine.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention. I claim:

A record assembly including a marginally punched web of material having medially therein a double row of punched holes, two parallel series of legends inscribed thereon between which outwardly faced in opposite directions with one over the other, and a stratum of adhesive material interposed between the reverse folds of the web uniting said folds one to the other to form plural ply strip, said strip being transversely divisible at longitudinally spaced intervals intermediate succeeding inscribed legends of the respective series.

ROBERT E. LEE. 

